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needing a little sleep reassurance

Hi Mamas,

My 7.5 m/o is back to waking every 50 mins if I'm not in bed and sleeping w/ breast in mouth when I am there. It's been 2 weeks & I'm tired and sore.

She had given us some nights of 5 hour stretches. It was bliss. But a lot has happened since then. My husband had to go away suddenly to care for his dad. She had no goodbye & I think she really did miss his presence & clung to me a lot more. Then she learned to sit up on her own. Two days later she learned how to pull herself to standing. We start the night in her crib and end together on a futon (or in a rocker, which, I know unsafe ). Every time I go in before I'm ready for bed she's either sitting or standing. Did I mention she's only 7.5 months? She doesn't even cross-crawl. What's going on? I miss getting up 3-5 times a night. Never thought that would happen.

I'm sick of looking for help and getting advice instead. I don't want her to CIO. I don't want to night wean. I don't want to sleep lady shuffle, baby whisper, or anything. I don't want scheduled feedings.

Can you BF-friendly mamas just remind me that this is temporary? This will pass? She'll change in a week, 2, 3 or even 6? I think I just need someone to pat me back to calm for just a little bit.

Re: needing a little sleep reassurance

Yep. It's all temporary. She is probably teething. Try dosing her with Tylenol before you put her down to see if it gets you a longer crib stretch. Because that stretch while away from you will always be the longest. Once she is in bed with your and can smell your milk, if she has teething pain, she is going to want to stay permanently latch for relief. BUT if it's pain and you can does her to relieve it, you could get that 1st stretch to be longer. Because if she is not in pain AND she can't smell milk then she has no reason to wake. AND that's Advice. SORRY. What I meant to say is THIS TOO SHALL PASS.

Re: needing a little sleep reassurance

Here's a pat on the back. Normal and temporary, but I would not venture to say how temporary.

I bet you are right, as far as she can see, daddy up and disappeared and she is afraid you will too. Not a great time to torment the poor kid with cry it out!
Any reason you are not simply bed sharing all night? not advice! just musing.

Re: needing a little sleep reassurance

Temporary. But REALLY REALLY hard. You're doing great just to keep at it. I recommend chocolate. (not for her, for you!) Your baby is doing new, cool stuff. Which is great. And makes things tough. So here's your pat from me. Things will change again, but I have no idea when.

Re: needing a little sleep reassurance

It is temporary, but it's god awful hard when you're going through it. I'm sorry I remember those days. My son at 7 months was up 6 or 7 times a night. We were not co-sleeping and I was back to work full-time. I felt like I was going to die, or wanted to, and for awhile there it seemed like DH and I were going to kill each other we were so cranky from lack of sleep. I can't imagine how hard it is for you to do this alone without your DH around to help. I'm sorry.

It is temporary, though. My son's sleep started improving around 8-9 months and now, at almost 13 months, he sleeps through the night on occasion and is usually only up once for a feeding. I feel like a human being again. You'll get there too Hang in there.

First-time mama to Joshua, 10/29/11. 38 months ; now trying to wean. for 14 months; now finished with pump weaning!

Re: needing a little sleep reassurance

Thank you so much mamas! It really helps to hear from those who have BTDT and value BF'ing. I'm just shocked at how much sleep advice claims to be BF compatible and then calls for scheduled feeding & etc.

Yes, it is god awful. DH and I have come to blows but are trying to be civil and mutually supportive, especially now.

As for teething, I think we're OK for now. Her two bottom teeth are in but there's no sign of top teeth. I'll try tylenol as a just in case tonight. She has an early bedtime, around 7 nad is quite easy to get down. I tend to stay with her for an hour -- get past the first sleep cycle -- and then slip away for dinner or something. I've gotten a bit better at using 3 am and what not as 'me time' too. Oy. Just writing that sounds so sad.

Thanks again for the reminders that she's young and this will pass. No sense in forcing tears and compromising supply when her sleep will change again... and again... and again.

Re: needing a little sleep reassurance

Hang in there, mama. You're doing great. Yes, her sleep will change again and again, no matter what you do about it. I'm on another 'mommy forum' and there were all these moms complaining at 9 months that their child who they had sleep-trained to STTN was now waking multiple times a night again...then they were complaining again at 10 months, then at 11 months...point being, even if you do 'sleep train' it's not really very effective and has to be repeated after each bout of teething, each growth spurt, etc. That's a lot of crying and distress (for baby and you) for not very much pay-off. They'll sleep through the night when they're ready to, it's a developmental milestone just like everything else. They will get there sooner or later, in their own good time, and there's not much you can do to significantly speed it up. Just hang tough and sleep when you can, and comisserate with like-minded mamas on here!

First-time mama to Joshua, 10/29/11. 38 months ; now trying to wean. for 14 months; now finished with pump weaning!